Spring hinge for toilet seats



` in dotted line,

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON c. BOOTH, or M'USKEGON HEIGHTS, `MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TOTHE BRUNS- WICK-BALKE-COLLENDER COMPANY, O-F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SPRING HINGE For. TOILET SEATS.

Application filed September 19, 1927. Serial No. 220,413.

My invention relates to spring hinges, and more particularly to spring hinges for toilet seats. y

One of the objects of my invention is to rovide a spring hinge, especially `adapted or toilet seats, which wil-l tend to maintain said seat in a raisedy position when not in use, and in which thev strain caused by the lifting action of` the spring is borne by a supporting member forming a part of the hinge, rather than byv the lugs connecting the seat to the hinge. y This structure greatly reduces the possibility of the lugs being torn loose from the seat as a result of the continued strain upon them, thus eliminating a common difficulty in seats of this type.v

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a spring hinge of this type which will besimple, strong and readily assembled.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the dscription proceeds. Y

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a closet bowl and seat with a spring hinge embodying the invention attached thereto the seat and bowl being broken away,

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the same, taken along the'r line`2-.-2 of Fig. 1, the seat and bowl being broken away and the raised position of the seat being shown Fig. 3 is a detail view of the hingepintle,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--1 of Fig. 1, and

Fig 5 is a sectionalview taken on line 5-5 of Fig.V 1. V

The bowl 1 is provided with a rearwardly extending flange 2, through which a pair of standards Sextend. The lower ends ofv the standards have nuts 4 thereon and the upper ends are provided with heads 5 and 6 having recesses 7 therein for receiving the ends of a pintle 8. The head 6 of one of the standards may be provided with a screw threaded opening 10' for receiving a screw 11, which engages teeth 12 on the pintle 8.

A pair of eyes 13, rotatably mounted on the pintle 8, is secured in a suitable manner to a toilet seat 14, thus permitting the seat to swing pivotally about the pintle,

A casing 16 is rotatably mounted on pintle 8 between the eyes 13 and is open at one end "extend inwardly and be held in and closed atthe other, exceptl for an opening f or'the passage of the pintle 8. Thecasing 1s provided with a support 17, adapted for Contact with the bottom of the seat.

Av coil spring 18 surrounds the pintle 8 and is disposed within the casing 16, which may contain a suitable lubricant. One end 19 ofthe spring may be held in a cavityprovided thereforl on the inside of the closed provided with stops 24, which are engage able with the arms 23 as will presently be described. Y A When the seat is pressed down it will engage the` support 17 on the casing 16 and by turning the casing, place the springilS under tension. f Upon release-of pressure uponthe seat, the tension of the Spring will cause the casing 16 to turn and the support 17 will thus raise the seat. The movement ofthe casing will be limited by the ari'ns 23 engag-A ing the standards 3,' and if the seat 14 is raised upwardly to such an `eXtent that its center' of gravity causes it to fall rearwardly, it will be limited lin such movement by the stops 24 abutting against the arms 23.

It will thus be seen that the strain `caused by 'the lifting action of the'spring is borne by the support 17, rather-than'by thevlugs yconnecting the seat to the hinge, thus greatly diminishing, if not entirely eliminating, the' possibility ofthe lugs being torn from the vseat due to such continued strain. l

The tension of Spring 18 may be readily varied as desired by merely turning the screw 11 and thus turninglthe pintle 8.

It will be apparent that the described hinge is strong, durable and simple and that its parts are few and easy to assemble. The exposed portions of the hinge are readily accessible for cleaning and Offer but slight opportunity for the lodgment of dirt.

While I have described a preferred form of my invention in detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact form shown, for many changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination with a toilet seat and a closet bowl, of means supporting said seat for pivotal movement, a pivoted member engageable with said seat, resilient means for moving said member upwardly, and means it'or limiting the upward movement of said member, said member and said resilient means being operative to raise said seat until the limit of movement of said member is reached, and said seat being capable of disengaging from said member and continuing its movement.

2. The combination with a toilet seat and a closet bowl, of means supporting said seat for pivotal movement, a pivoted member engagable with said seat, resilient means for moving said member upwardly, and means for limiting the upward movement of said member, said member and said resilient means being operative to raise said seat until the limit of movement ot' said member is reached and said seat being capable of disengaging from said member and continuing its movement, and additional means for stopping said seat after it has reached a rearwardly inclined position,

3. The combination with a closet bowl and a seat therefor, of a hinge comprising standards mounted on said bowl, a pintle supported by said standards having a longitudinal groove extending from an end thereof, lugs secured to said seat and pivotally mounted on said pintle, a easing rotatable on said pintle and having thereon an extension for lifting said seat, and a spring disposed within said casing having one end engaged with said casing and the other disposed in the longitudinal groove of said pintle, for rotating said easing and raising said seat.

Ll. The combination with a closet bowl and a seat therefor, of a hinge comprising standards mounted on said bowl, a pintle sup ported by said standards, lugs secured to said seat and pivotally mounted on said pintle, a casing rotatable on said pintle and having an extension thereon loosely engaging the bottom of said seat, a spring in said casing having one end engaged therewith and the other with said pintle for rotating said casing and thereby lifting said seat, and an arm on said casing engageable with one of said supports for limiting the movement of said casing so that said extension may support said seat in an inclined position.

5. The combination with a toilet seat and a closet bowl of a hinge comprisingr a pintle having a longitudinal groove extending from the end thereof, a pair of supports ior the ends of said pintle, a pair of lugs secured to said seat and supporting the same for pivotal movement on said pintle, a spring coiledK about said pintle, a casing for said spring rotatably mounted on said pintle and having an extension engagcable with the bottom of said seat and an open end for permitting the assembly of said spring in said easing and a small cavity receiving one end of Said spring, the other end of said spring being directed inwardly into said groove, said spring being maintained under tension to enable it to move said casing and lift said seat by means of said extension, and a cap closing the end of said casing.

6. The combination with a toilet seat and a closet bowl of a hinge comprisingr a pintle having longitudinal groove extending from the end thereof, a pair of supports for the ends of said pintle, a pair of lugs secured to said seat and supporting the same for pivotal movement on said pintle, a spring coiled about said pintle, a casingr for said spring rotatably mounted on said pintle. and having an extension engageable with the bottom of said seat and an open end for permitting the assembly of said spring in said casing and a small cavity receiving one end of sald spring, the other end of said spring being directed inwardly into said groove, said spring being maintained under tension to enable it to move said casing and lift said seat by means of said extension, a cap closing the end of said casing, and an arm er:- tending from said casing for engaging one of said supports to limit the rotation of said casmg.

BYRON C. BOOTH. 

